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(No Model) A R. J. MARKS. ELEOTROPLATING APPARATUS.

No. 574,038. Patented Dec. 29, 189 6.

Ya: mum; 9:72:15 00.. PHOTQ-LIYNQ. WASHINGTON n. c.

UNITED STATES PATENT -OFFICE.

RICHARD J. MARKS, OF HARTFORD, CONNECTICUT, ASSIGNOR OF ONE- IIALF TOWILLIAM P. OTOOLE, OF SAME PLACE.

ELECTROPLATING APPARATUS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 574,038, dated December29, 1896. Application filed October 12,1896- Serial No. 608,545. (Nomodel.)

T0 00% whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, RICHARD J. MARKS, a citizen of the United States,residing in Hartford, in the county of Hartford and State ofConnecticut, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inElectroplatin g Apparatus, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to that class of electroplating apparatusgenerally known as a work-holder, which work-holderis adapted for use inconnection with an electroplatingbath for holding the work during theprocess of electroplating.

The object of the invention is to furnish a simple and improvedwork-holder adapted for use with electroplating-baths and embodyingmeans whereby a multiplicity of articles -may be electroplated and maybe supported therein, and whereby a uniform electroplating treatment ofthe several articles contained therein will be positively insured.

To this end my invention consists in part in the embodiment, in aWork-holder of the class specified, of a suitable non-conductive frame,a series of relatively-insulated permeable conductive floor-sectionssecured to said non-conductive frame, and two conductinghangers locatedat opposite ends of the frame, respectively, and one of which isconductively connected with alternately-conductive see- I tions at oneend of said frame, and the other of which is conductively connected withthe intermediate alternating conductive sections at the opposite end ofthe frame.

It further consists in the'peculiar construction and organization of theseveral parts of the work-holder, substantially as hereinafterdescribed, and more particularly pointed out in the claims.

I11 the drawings accompanying and forming part of this specification,Figure l is a perspective of a work-holder of the class specifiedembodying my present improvements, said figure showing the work-holderfurnished with a permeable cover. Fig. 2 is an under side View of thework-holder, parts thereof being broken away; and Fig. 3 is across-sectional view of the work-holder, taken in dotted line a a, Fig.2.

Similar characters designate like parts in all the figures of thedrawings.

I The work-holder in the preferred form thereof shown in the drawingscomprises in part a suitable non-conductive open frame, (designated in ageneral way by F,) a suitable permeable bottom or bed (designated by F)embodying a series of relatively-insulated conductive sections securedto the framework, and two conducting-hangers (designated by H and II,respectively) secured to opposite ends of the frame, and one of whichhangers is connected by the conductive strips to alter nating conductivesections of the bottom or bed at one end of the frame, and the other ofwhich is secured to intermediate alternating sections in a similarmanner at the opposite ends of the frame, as will be hereinafter morefully described.

In the form thereof shown in the drawings the framework F, which willpreferably be constructed of wood or any suitable non-conductingmaterial, is in the nature of a relatively shallow, oblong, open framecomprising the two parallel side pieces 2 and 3 and the two end pieces 4and 5, secured to said side pieces.

The floor or bed F" comprises, in the preferred form thereof shown inthe drawings, a series of elongated or relatively narrow permeableconductive strips, (hereinshown as four in number anddesignated by 6, 7,8, and 9, respectively,) preferably constructed of wire-netting andsecured at opposite ends to the end pieces 4 and 5 of the framework andinsulated from one another by non-conductive strips 10, 12, and 13,respectively, which are interposed between the adjacent side edges ofthe successively-adj acent conductive strips 6, 7, 8, and 9, and whichnon-conductive strips 10, 12, and 13 are shown located in parallelismand are secured at their opposite ends to the end pieces 4 and 5 of thenon-conductive frame F. i

The adjacent edges of the conductive strips 6, 7, 8, and 9 arerelatively separated and are preferably clamped against the under sidesof the insulating-strips 10, 12, and 13 and against the under sides ofthe two side rails 2 and 3 of the frame, preferably by means ofclamping-cleats 14, 15, 16, 17, and 18, secured at their outer ends tothe end pieces 4 and 5 of the framework below the end rails 2 and 3 andthe insulating-strips 10, 12, and 13, respectively, as will beunderstood by reference to the figures of the drawings.

The insulating-strips 10, 12, and 13, which will preferably be convex attheir upper faces, also constitute dividing-partitions for separatingthe interior of the work-holder into a series of relatively-separatedcompartments, each compartment of which constitutes one section of thebottom of the work-holder and is adapted for receiving anumber ofarticles to be plated.

As will be understood by reference to the drawings, theconducting-hangers H and H are shown formed of wires bent at their upperends, as shown at 20 and 20, to form hooks whereby the work-holder maybe suspended from the negative terminal wire, (shown at WV in dottedlines, Fig. 1,) said hangers being disposed vertically with relation tothe plane of the bottom of the work-holder and being connected with theend pieces 4: and 5 of the framework near the middle portion thereof,preferably by means of straps 21 and 22, which straps are secured to theouter faces of the end pieces and have inward or lateral projections 23and 23 and 2i and 24. The projections 23 and 23' of the hanger H areshown in direct connection with the conductive sections 6 and 8, and theprojections 24 and 24 of the hanger II are shown in direct connectionwith the conductive sections 7 and 9. Thus it will be seen that when theframe is hung upon the negative terminal wire of the battery, dynamo, orother currentproducer and submerged in the electroplating-bath thecurrent from the positive pole of the battery or dynamo (not shown) willpass through the solution to the insulated ends of the severalconductive sections and through said sections to the conductive hangersconnected with the respective sections, different portions of thecurrent entering at one end of one section and at the opposite end ofthe other section and passing each other in opposite directions to theirrespective conductinghangers, thereby insuring the travel of the currentover the entire areas of the several conductive sections and preventingshort-circuiting, as frequently occurs with metallic work-holders ofordinary construction.

For the purpose of facilitating or shaking up the contents of thework-holder to provide means whereby said work-holder may be inverted Ihave shown in connection with the work-holder proper a cover, which isdesignated in a general way by O and which in the form illustratedcomprises an open frame similar to the open framework 25 of theworkholder proper, and which framework is covered by a wire-netting 26.

Having described my invention, I claim 1. A work-holder of the classspecified, comprising two elongated parallel conductive sections; anon-conductive stop interposed between adjacent edges and insulatingsaid conductive sections; and a conducting-hanger in connection witheach section.

2. A work-holder of the class specified, comprising an opening-frame ofnon-conductive material, having a floor composed of a series ofelongated parallel conductive and non-conductive stops alternating witheach other and conductive hangers fixed at opposite ends of said frameand one of said hangcrs being conductively connected with alternatingconductive sections at one end of said frame and the other hanger beingconductively connected to alternating conductive sections at theopposite end of said frame.

3. A work-holder comprising two adjacent relatively-insulated conductivesections and two condnoting-hangers, one of which is connected to onesection at one end and the other of which is connected to the adjacentsection at the opposite end.

4. A work-holder of the class specified, comprising a suitablenon-conductive frame; a series of relativelyinsulated permeableconductive floor-sections secured to said nonconductive frame; andconducting-hangers,

one of which is conductively connected with alternating conductivesections at one end of the frame and another of which is conductivelyconnected with intermediate alternating conductive sections at theopposite end of the frame.

5. A work-holder of the class specified, comprising a suitablenon-conductive frame; a series of relatively insulated permeableconductive floor-sections secured to said nonconductive frame;conducting-hangers,one of which is conductively connected withalternating conductive sections at one end of the frame and another ofwhich is conductively connected with intermediate alternating conductivesections at the opposite end of the frame; and a permeable cover inconnection with the section-frame.

RICHARD J. MARKS.

Witnesses:

FRED. J. DOLE, HEATH SUTHERLAND.

